(02-05-2012 06:42 PM)tsita78 Wrote: and which ones you still use?which ones would you suggest and why?do you use one gel system or not?if not what makes you use 2 or more different gel lines and for what reasons?

I started out using Light Elegance Gels, and I really like their gel. They also have great customer service. I wear their gel every single day at work as a full-time hairdresser/nail tech and it holds up very nicely. I really like everything about the gel, how it goes on, how it feels, the UV lamps, and the different gels available in the line, etc. (I do have to admit that I now use TEN's "Linkage" to help with lifting issues that I was having - problem solved.)

I have watched the Light Elegance DVDs, but nothing replaces or compares to personal classroom assistancce to learn the little "ins and outs" or "subtleties" of a line. That is what I still struggle with, and I do have a hard time getting LE education in my area. But, after also trying TEN gel and Young Nails, I have decided it is much easier to learn and stick with one line. I started with LE and I will continue with it, hoping that I will hear soon about some education fairly close to my area.

What I am trying to say from my own 2-3 year experience, the long way, is that it is a good idea to do your research, pick one line and try to stick with it so you are not all over the place learning how to make the gels work easily for you. And if the gel line you choose has education in your area, that is a huge big deal bonus. It can also get very expensive experimenting with various lines, unless you can get small samples from companies to try.

i have been using brisa and switched to ten because of lifting issues.i like ten a lot but i think it is not so flexible and i have a lot of clients that have pocket lifting(if this is the right way to express the breaking in the stress area).i also don't like the heat spikes but let's say that my clients got used to that.linkage is a good product but to be honest i was expecting more of it.i still have clients that have lifting no matter what.so now iam in search of a new line to try out and i need your input ladies by the way when i switched from brisa to ten i changed a lot of things with my application and i had a big difference but still i haven't troubleshooted all of my issues.

I just started using CND Shellac and so far I love it. I have a client that can never keep regular polish on. But the Shellac will stay on her for a week. That is great for someone that use to chip over night.

Pocket lifting and cracks in the stress area are two different things. Pocket lifting in gel is generally caused by the client overbending the f/e of the nail and it pops the product loose from the nail plate. If you'll put a small amount of downward pressure on your f/e, you'll see a white area appear on the nail bed. This is where the p/l will always occur.

The nail product showing cracks/breaking across the stress area simply means that there's not enough strength in the stress area to handle the length of the f/e. The nail just isn't structured properly. If this is a consistent problem, then it's an application issue, not a gel issue.

You MUST build up the stress area to give longer nails strength. I used TEN for over 3 years, it doesn't p/l but it will crack at the stress area if it's not built correctly.

is there any video available of how i can build correctly with ten gel and give more strenght to the stress area?
if the nails are really short and still they break on the stress area what does this mean?

you'll either need to contact Brenda Anderson in the U.S. or Barb H. in Canada for help.

When I used it, I would layer the gel on, freezing it in place until the nail was built, then cure for 2 minutes afterwards. Look at it from the side to make sure you're placing the apex in the right spot.

If the nails are really short and you're still experiencing cracking at the stress area, you're making them too thin. The cracking is caused by flexing of the nail. To counteract the flexing, you need to build the stress area.

Some people will flip the hand over and cure it upside down outside the light, which is what I did. That makes the gel bulge downward right in the spot you want it. As long as the lamp light is touching the gel, it's curing. If you don't want to do that, then applying layers and freezing 5-10 seconds after each one will work.

thank you for your help! i will try to do that tomorrow and she how it goes.does the temperature has anything to do with this?last week was -10 in my town and i thought i read somewhere that it has a big impuct to nails.

it's possible, tho I've had no experience with temps that low. I've heard it affects acrylics, but Barb should be able to answer that question since she's in Canada. It gets colder there than where I'm at, a bit further south in Tx. If you can't get help thru them, contact me and I'll try to help you.
Also, I do have access to Skype to it's possible I can talk with you face to face!

I have tried NSI Balance(NSI), Ten(Tuff Enuff Nails), OPI Axxium and Onyx. Honestly (even though I hate OPI for selling out) I like OPI Axxium the best exept the fact that there pots only come in one size. I wish you could get bigger amounts at a time. I always go back to NSI Balance, I really do love it and I like that you can get refills in bottles to refile the pots.

I am very happy with Light elegance! So nice to work with. it stays where you put it. No running after it! Nice and clear! And the glitter mix is out of this world! You don't have to stir it!That is a big big plus for me. AND customer support is great!!!